Travel industry leaders, tourism ministers from other
countries and conservation groups, journalists and representatives from the
World Economic Forum, as well as former UK Prime Minister David Cameron,
gathered together at the 17th World Travel and Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Global
Summit held in Bangkok, Thailand, on April 26 and 27. Far-ranging issues that touched upon the area of
sustainability, freedom to travel, the future of the industry and Asean
tourism, among others, were thoroughly conversed through discussion panels and
intimate “meet the experts” sessions.
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| Bangkok, Thailand, the site of the 17th World Travel and Tourism Council Global Summit. |
Boosting Asean tourism
Holding the WTTC Global Summit in Thailand has put the
spotlight on the booming travel industry in the Asean region. Among the
much-anticipated sessions of the two-day conference is the one participated in
by tourism ministers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand, who took
center stage for a panel discussion on “Freedom to Travel: Can Asean Countries
Lead the Way?” Thailand Tourism Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul opened the
session by affirming the urgency for the Asean to start a stronger collaboration
in steering the region’s tourism industry to greater heights. “Asean is 50
years old, but Asean tourism acts like a 15-year-old,” Wattanavrangkul
implored, before breaking out with a series of positive news that are finally
developing in the region’s tourism industry.
“Asean will grow together. No one [in Asean] is a
bigger or smaller brother. We are working together,” Wattanavrangkul said.
“Tourism is not about making money, not just about economics. We have to make
sure that everyone gets something, and we leave something for our children and
the younger generation. We need to give the right to everyone in the 10 Asean
countries to travel. Freedom of travel is not for the select few, but for
everyone.”
The tourism ministers from Indonesia, Philippines and
Thailand all gave a passionate endorsement to the proposed single Asean visa,
which is expected to further boost tourism in the region.
In an interview, Philippine Tourism Secretary Wanda
Corazon T. Teo said, “We would like to have one visa for Asean countries. This
is for foreign tourists from all over the world who travel to Asean countries,
so they can stay longer in Asean countries.” She also cautioned Western
governments on the issuance of travel advisories to Asean countries. “I suggest
that the embassies issuing the travel advisories must first check with the
country concerned regarding the situation on the ground,” Teo added.
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| Inda Yueh (from left), moderator; Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, Thailand Minister of Tourism; Arun Mishra, Regional Director of ICAO Asia and Pacific Office; Wanda Corazon T. Teo, Philippine Tourism Secretary; and Arief Yahya, Indonesia Minister of Tourism. |
More than 100 million tourists traveled all over
Southeast Asia in 2015, and this number is expected to rise as it raises the
readiness of Asean nations to accommodate the projected influx of visitors. All
three Asean ministers indicated plans for infrastructure expansion to meet the
foreseen increase in tourism in a few years’ time. “[On] the future plans for
airport expansion, immigration, anything that concerns travel, we’re now
grouped together and using tourism as the head,” Wattanavrangkul said.
In a separate session, AirAsia Group chief executive
Tony Fernandes reiterated the importance of continuing the momentum generated
by Asean countries in terms of tourism. “Asean is a huge market. Thailand is
the leader that’s becoming a more vibrant aviation market. It took me seven
years to open the Kuala Lumpur-to-Singapore route because it had always been
blocked. Now the region is talking about an open-skies policy,” Fernandes said.
AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes urges aviation liberalization
In one of the Meet the Experts sessions with members of
the media, Fernandes, who steered AirAsia to becoming one of the world’s
leading budget airlines that played a key role in heightening tourism arrivals
in the Southeast Asian region, cited Asean’s rapid growth in the tourism
industry.
In particular, Fernandes also mentioned the encouraging
development of more airports expanding to accommodate rising tourist arrivals,
such as Thailand’s recent reopening of Don Mueang airport and the addition of
the U-Tapao hub.
Coupled with the main hub of Kuala Lumpur, the future
of Asean travel is heading into the right direction—as additional plans for airport
expansion are already laid out in the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia
and even Myanmar.
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| WTTC President and Chief Executive David Scowsill shares the stage with AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes. |
“Asean has made huge improvements, but it still [has] a
long way to go to become truly open like Europe,” said Fernandes, as he pointed
out the importance of liberalizing the region’s aviation sector.
“What we need to look at is common ownership…. Joint
ventures are less efficient than full ownership, unlike Ryan Air and EasyJet in
Europe,” he added.
Fernandes also shared plans of introducing direct flights
to Europe soon. “Once we get the aircraft, which is very soon, we will go to
Europe. It doesn’t matter where we land, because it doesn’t have to be a big
hub. There are many interesting off-the- beaten-track points in Europe that
offer three or four reasons for one to go. It may not be London, it may be like
Manchester or Dublin,” he added.
“Is it Too Much to Ask?”
The summit also echoed the call for sustainability in
all matters related to tourism and travel. David Scowsill, president and chief
executive of World Travel & Tourism Council, challenged the audience to
take up the truncheon of advocacy in “transforming our world”, by making a
genuine difference to the “eradication of poverty, cleaning up the oceans and
protecting habitats,” while expanding the reach of travel throughout the world.
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| WTTC President and CEO David Scowsill challenges the audience to help transform our world through sustainability |
“Is it too much to ask?” Scowsill asked the summit’s
audience, as he sought the calibration of the effects of globalization in the
travel industry to create more benefits for the people—while promoting the right
of everyone to travel. “Travel is not for a privileged few. The world and its
astonishing beauties are for everyone. We believe in the fundamental right of
anyone to travel, regardless of their nationality, gender, religion, sexual
orientation or age.”
As the travel industry continues to stimulate the world
economy by a staggering $7.6 trillion, while supporting over 292 million jobs,
the issue of sustainability is considered a clear and present concern. More
important than continuing this massive economic momentum, the safeguarding of
our planet’s natural resources, animal species and various habitats must remain
the forefront agenda of everyone involved in the travel industry.
“This sector plays a vital part in the global quest for
a more equal, inclusive and sustainable world. For our sector to continue to
thrive, we must focus on three elements: people need to be able to travel; we
need successful businesses; and we need responsible practices,” Scowsill
concluded.
Globalization with a cause
In his keynote address on the topic “Altered States—Has
Globalization Had Its Day?”, former UK Prime Minister David Cameron sought for
a stronger response from world governments to solve the challenges that face
the tourism industry today. “Tourism can transform countries. Governments and
those in the business world should work together to tackle the threat of
Islamist extremism, while preserving the benefits of globalization,” Cameron
said.
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| Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron talks about globalization and tourism. |
Cameron also stated the importance of polishing the
concepts of globalization to become more inclusive and for developing and
underdeveloped countries to experience tourism’s trickle-down effects, in order
to achieve a stronger economic surge and employment creations.
As the WTTC gears up for next year’s summit in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, the industry promises to police each other closely in order
to fulfill the pledges agreed upon during the summit: Sustainability,
collective inclusion of all economies, freedom to travel, single Asean visa,
open borders and, most of all, a more united world through travel.
* This article appeared in the May 14, 2017 issue of Business Mirror *
